Ezekieli 33

1 Neno la Bwana likanijia kusema:

Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

2 “Mwanadamu, sema na watu wako uwaambie, ‘Nitakapoleta upanga dhidi ya nchi, nao watu wa nchi wakamchagua mmoja wa watu wao na kumfanya awe mlinzi wao,

Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say to them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their borders, and set him for their watchman:

3 naye auonapo upanga unakuja dhidi ya nchi na kupiga tarumbeta kuonya watu,

If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he shall blow the trumpet, and warn the people;

4 kama mtu yeyote asikiapo sauti ya tarumbeta hakukubali kuonywa, basi upanga ujapo na kuutoa uhai wake, damu yake itakuwa juu ya kichwa chake mwenyewe.

Then whoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword shall come and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head.

5 Kwa kuwa alisikia sauti ya tarumbeta lakini hakukubali maonyo, damu yake itakuwa juu ya kichwa chake mwenyewe. Kama angekubali maonyo, angelijiokoa mwenyewe.

He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul.

6 Lakini kama mlinzi akiona upanga unakuja na asipige tarumbeta kuonya watu na upanga ukija na kutoa uhai wa mmoja wao, yule mtu ataondolewa kwa sababu ya dhambi yake, lakini damu yake nitaitaka mkononi mwa mlinzi huyo.’

But if the watchman shall see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword shall come, and take [any] person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand.

7 “Mwanadamu, nimekufanya wewe kuwa mlinzi kwa ajili ya nyumba ya Israeli, kwa hiyo sikia neno nisemalo na uwape maonyo kutoka kwangu.

So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman to the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me.

8 Nimwambiapo mtu mwovu, ‘Ewe mtu mwovu, hakika utakufa,’ nawe hukusema neno la kumwonya ili atoke katika njia zake, yule mtu mwovu atakufa kwa ajili ya dhambi yake, mimi nitaitaka damu yake mkononi mwako.

When I say to the wicked, O wicked [man], thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked [man] shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thy hand.

9 Lakini kama utamwonya huyo mtu mwovu aache njia zake mbaya naye hafanyi hivyo, atakufa kwa ajili ya dhambi yake, lakini utakuwa umejiokoa mwenyewe.

Nevertheless, if thou shalt warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he shall not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.

10 “Mwanadamu, sema na nyumba ya Israeli uwaambie, ‘Hili ndilo mnalosema: “Makosa yetu na dhambi zetu zimetulemea, nasi tunadhoofika kwa sababu ya hayo. Tutawezaje basi kuishi?”’

Therefore, O thou son of man, speak to the house of Israel; Thus ye speak, saying, If our transgressions and our sins [are] upon us, and we pine away in them, how should we then live?

11 Waambie, ‘Hakika kama mimi niishivyo, asema Bwana Mwenyezi, sifurahii kifo cha watu waovu, bali kwamba wageuke kutoka njia zao mbaya wapate kuishi. Geukeni! Geukeni kutoka njia zenu mbaya! Kwa nini mkafe, ee nyumba ya Israeli?’

Say to them, [As] I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked should turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

12 “Kwa hiyo, mwanadamu, waambie watu wako, ‘Haki ya mtu mwenye haki haitamwokoa wakati anapoacha kutii, wala uovu wa mtu mwovu hautamsababisha yeye kuanguka anapotubu na kuacha uovu. Mtu mwenye haki, kama akitenda dhambi, hataishi kwa sababu ya uadilifu wake wa awali.’

Therefore, thou son of man, say to the children of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression: as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall by it in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall the righteous be able to live for his [righteousness] in the day that he sinneth.

13 Kama nikimwambia mtu mwenye haki kwamba hakika utaishi, lakini akategemea hiyo haki yake na kutenda uovu, hakuna tendo lolote la haki alilotenda litakalokumbukwa, atakufa kwa ajili ya uovu alioutenda.

When I shall say to the righteous, [that] he shall surely live; if he shall trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it.

14 Nami kama nikimwambia mtu mwovu, ‘Hakika utakufa,’ kisha akageuka kutoka dhambi yake na kufanya lile lililo haki na sawa,

Again, when I say to the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; if he shall turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right;

15 kama akirudisha kile alichochukua rehani kwa ajili ya deni, akarudisha alichoiba na kufuata amri zile ziletazo uzima, wala hafanyi uovu, hakika ataishi, hatakufa.

[If] the wicked shall restore the pledge, give again that which he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die.

16 Hakuna dhambi yoyote aliyoitenda itakayokumbukwa juu yake. Ametenda lile lililo haki na sawa, hakika ataishi.

None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned to him: he hath done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live.

17 “Lakini watu wako wanasema, ‘Njia ya Bwana si sawa.’ Lakini ni njia zao ambazo si sawa.

Yet the children of thy people say, The way of the LORD is not equal: but as for them, their way is not equal.

18 Kama mtu mwenye haki akigeuka kutoka uadilifu wake na kufanya uovu, atakufa kwa ajili ya huo uovu.

When the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, for that he shall even die.

19 Naye mtu mwovu kama akigeuka kutoka uovu wake na kufanya lile lililo haki na sawa, kwa kufanya hivyo ataishi.

But if the wicked shall turn from his wickedness, and do that which is lawful and right, for that he shall live.

20 Lakini, ee nyumba ya Israeli, unasema, ‘Njia ya Bwana si sawa.’ Lakini nitamhukumu kila mmoja wenu sawasawa na njia zake mwenyewe.”

Yet ye say, The way of the LORD is not equal. O ye house of Israel, I will judge you every one after his ways.

21 Mwaka wa kumi na mbili wa uhamisho wetu, mwezi wa kumi, siku ya tano, mtu aliyekuwa ametoroka kutoka Yerusalemu akanijia na kusema, “Mji wa Yerusalemu umeanguka!”

And it came to pass in the twelfth year of our captivity, in the tenth [month], in the fifth [day] of the month, [that] one that had escaped out of Jerusalem came to me, saying, The city is smitten.

22 Basi jioni kabla mtu huyo hajaja, mkono wa Bwana, ulikuwa juu yangu, naye alifungua kinywa changu kabla ya mtu yule aliyenijia asubuhi hajafika. Basi kinywa changu kilifunguliwa na sikuweza tena kunyamaza.

Now the hand of the LORD was upon me in the evening, before he that had escaped came; and had opened my mouth, until he came to me in the morning; and my mouth was opened, and I was no more dumb.

23 Ndipo neno la Bwana likanijia kusema:

Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

24 “Mwanadamu, watu wanaoishi katika magofu hayo katika nchi ya Israeli wanasema hivi, ‘Abrahamu alikuwa mtu mmoja tu, hata hivyo akaimiliki nchi. Lakini sisi ni wengi, hakika tumepewa nchi kuwa milki yetu.’

Son of man, they that inhabit those wastes of the land of Israel speak, saying, Abraham was one, and he inherited the land: but we [are] many; the land is given to us for inheritance.

25 Kwa hiyo waambie, ‘Hili ndilo Bwana Mwenyezi asemalo: Kwa kuwa mnakula nyama pamoja na damu na kuinulia sanamu zenu macho na kumwaga damu, je, mtaimiliki nchi?

Wherefore say to them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Ye eat with the blood, and lift up your eyes towards your idols, and shed blood: and shall ye possess the land?

26 Mnategemea panga zenu, mnafanya mambo ya machukizo na kila mmoja wenu humtia unajisi mke wa jirani yake. Je, mtaimiliki nchi?’

Ye stand upon your sword, ye work abomination, and ye defile every one his neighbor's wife: and shall ye possess the land?

27 “Waambie hivi: ‘Hili ndilo Bwana Mwenyezi asemalo: Hakika kama niishivyo, wale waliobaki katika magofu wataanguka kwa upanga, wale walio nje mashambani nitawatoa wararuliwe na wanyama pori, nao wale walio katika ngome na kwenye mapango watakufa kwa tauni.

Say thou thus to them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; [As] I live, surely they that [are] in the wastes shall fall by the sword, and him that [is] in the open field will I give to the beasts to be devoured, and they that [are] in the forts and in the caves shall die by the pestilence.

28 Nitaifanya nchi kuwa ukiwa na utupu na kiburi cha nguvu zake zitafikia mwisho, nayo milima ya Israeli itakuwa ukiwa ili mtu yeyote asipite huko.

For I will lay the land most desolate, and the pomp of her strength shall cease; and the mountains of Israel shall be desolate, that none shall pass through.

29 Kisha watajua kuwa Mimi ndimi Bwana, nitakapokuwa nimeifanya nchi kuwa ukiwa na utupu kwa sababu ya mambo yote ya machukizo waliyotenda.’

Then shall they know that I [am] the LORD, when I have laid the land most desolate because of all their abominations which they have committed.

30 “Kwa habari yako wewe, mwanadamu, watu wako wanaongea habari zako wakiwa karibu na kuta na kwenye milango ya nyumba, wakiambiana kila mmoja na mwenzake, ‘Njooni msikie ujumbe ule utokao kwa Bwana.’

Also, thou son of man, the children of thy people still are talking against thee by the walls and in the doors of the houses, and speak one to another, every one to his brother, saying, Come, I pray you, and hear what is the word that cometh forth from the LORD.

31 Watu wangu wanakujia, kama wafanyavyo, nao wanaketi mbele yako kama watu wangu na kusikiliza maneno yako, lakini hawayatendi. Kwa maana udanganyifu u katika midomo yao, lakini mioyo yao ina tamaa ya faida isiyo halali.

And they come to thee as the people come, and they sit before thee [as] my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they show much love, [but] their heart goeth after their covetousness.

32 Naam, mbele yao umekuwa tu kama yeye aimbaye nyimbo za mapenzi kwa sauti nzuri za kuvutia na kupiga vyombo kwa ustadi, kwa kuwa wanasikia maneno yako lakini hawayatendi.

And lo, thou [art] to them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do not perform them.

33 “Wakati mambo haya yote yatakapotimia, kwa kuwa hakika yatatokea, ndipo watakapojua kwamba nabii amekuwepo miongoni mwao.”

And when this cometh to pass, (lo, it will come, ) then shall they know that a prophet hath been among them.